Tens of thousands of people have now signed on to save the Ontario Science Centre

The public is still reeling from the sudden closure of the Ontario Science Centre, which Premier Doug Ford is insistent on moving to the Ontario Place grounds despite resistance from many of his constituents.

With doors to the institution now permanently shut as of Friday, people have been expressing their outrage over the provincial government's lack of warning, questionable motives and generally unbecoming tactics in this case and in others, while also searching for solutions to keep the centre open at its current site.

One tech entrepreneur has said he's willing to gift the hundreds of thousands needed to fix the Raymond Moriyama-designed building's roof — the offender Ford and his team have blamed for the immediate shutdown — while one local councillor has been trying to get the City to take over maintaining the Flemington Park property.

And, more than 22,000 citizens have now signed a petition to grant the structure better heritage designation that would preserve it from being demolished and redeveloped (by, many think, one of the premier's "developer buddies" who would gain from the closure).

Did they really think no one would question their timing? I personally, think it just makes it easier for the provincial government to move it luke they wanted to do all along.

— Christine-The Vitamin Queen! (@Vitaminz4Me) June 22, 2024

"Mayor Olivia Chow promised to prevent this move. We now call upon her and our government officials to uphold this promise and protect our cherished Ontario Science Centre by fully designating it as a heritage building under Ontario law," the change.org appeal, launched in the fall, reads.

It also adds that the Architectural Conservatory of Ontario and the Toronto Society of Architects have both issued statements supporting this designation.

An update this week briefs supporters on the recent closure, saying that engineers didn't actually deem the buildings unsafe, as the Province had suggested on Friday.

"It's clear that the Province is using this report as an opportunity to push ahead their flawed business case for moving the OSC to Ontario Place, without regard for the impact it will have on summer camps, school groups, local families and the broader community," the update reads.

"But this shocking development has reinvigorated community support for keeping the OSC on its current site."

Another petition started six months earlier has attracted an even greater 33,000 signees who demand Doug Ford keep the Science Centre where it is, and not relocate it senselessly as part of his contentious Ontario Place revitalization plan. 

A flurry of online discussion shows opinions ranging from suspicion regarding the reasoning and timing to questions of why we would waste the money to relocate the centre (and why now) and some (seemingly dwindling) support for the move.

The Ontario Science Center is wonderful.

Is Doug Ford that stupid, or is he set up to get massive kickbacks if the area is redeveloped?

I suspect it’s the latter, because why else would he pay this much attention to a science center?

— tnielsenhayden (@tnielsenhayden) April 18, 2023

While public pushback unfortunately hasn't stopped the forthcoming Therme Spa's privatization of Ontario Place, it did seem to influence Ford's decision to reverse the Greenbelt sell-off.

But, with the Science Centre already shuttered, plans well underway to move it and multiple explicit and ulterior motivations for the government to do so, it is doubtful that outrage and petitions will be enough.